Soccer rebounder

ABSTRACT

A portable, self-standing ball rebounder includes upper and lower frames that support a flexible material that serves as a ball rebounding surface. The upper frame is raised relative to the lower one for using the rebounder. The upper frame may be collapsed relative to the lower frame for storing the rebounder.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention disclosed here is a collapsible rebound apparatus for usein soccer practice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of a rebounding apparatus or rebounder in sports is well knownfor deflecting a ball which has been tossed, hit or kicked against therebounder to cause the ball to rebound away from its initial directionof travel. Such rebounding apparatuses are found in many patents, suchas U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,234 to Vavala et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,043,172to Campanaro et al.

In these patents, the rebounding surface of the rebounder is planar andheld within a frame structure which is disposed at an angle to theplaying surface, which features are typical of the prior art. The userthrows, kicks or hits the ball which strikes the planar surface, whichis generally disposed at an upward angle in relation to the playingsurface, causing the ball to rebound away from the rebounder.

A training device called the QUICK FEET™ rebounder made by the MatrixSports Group utilizes a plurality of rectangular frames covered withfabric material, such frames having vertical and horizontal supportmembers. The horizontal members of each frame are joined to horizontalmembers of adjacent frames, forming a polygonal figure having aplurality of straight sides and an open interior. The user of thisrebounder climbs into the open interior surrounded by the frames andkicks the ball toward the fabric covering of a selected frame, causingthe ball to rebound back toward the user. The user then repeats thisprocess.

The sport of soccer requires quick and precise passing of the soccerball to a team member if that team is to maintain possession of the ballduring the course of play. The soccer ball can be struck by any part ofthe foot, but the most frequently used part of the foot is the inside ofthe foot from toe to heel. A passed ball struck low and precisely is thequickest and easiest ball for the intended receiver to control in orderto maintain possession of the ball or in order to redirect the ball toanother intended receiver. Teams that have players capable of executingsuch skilled ball passing can achieve the highest level of success.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein is a rebounder especially useful inpractice for the sport of soccer which requires a player to preciselyexecute the type of passing techniques that are most useful in the gameof soccer and allows a player to practice the type of passing neededmultiple times over a short period of time. The exact angle of reboundwill be determined by the ball's angle of travel at the point of impacton the rebounding surface.

Although the shape of the upper and lower frames of the rebounder ofthis invention are, in a preferred embodiment, the same, differentshapes can be used in alternate embodiments. These frame shapes can varyand can include circular, rectangular, D-shaped as well as shapes thatinclude sides that are rounded, convex and straight, allowing for theball to return either directly to the player using the device or to adesired position requiring the player to move around the rebounder asthe player executes one pass after another.

The player kicks the ball toward the rebounder of this invention fromthe exterior of the rebounder. The use of a rebounder in this way offersthe player a variety of actions, such as change of ball rebounddirection and choice of passing foot as the player circumnavigates theexterior of the rebounder in either a clockwise or counterclockwisepath. The player, while constantly and consciously aiming each pass atthe rebounder, will not only develop the skill of striking the ballcorrectly, but also practice with the intent of hitting an intendedtarget toward a point in space where the intended receiver is runningand more specifically toward the foot of such teammate during the courseof a game.

The rebounder of this invention, regardless of its shape, providesstability without external leg supports, a feature that is quite uniquefrom other rebounders of the prior art, such as described above, most ofwhich are supported in an easel-like frame.

The single unit of the rebounder of this invention, no matter the shapeof its framework, allows for more than one player to use the rebounderat the same time. Further, multiple rebounders can be strategicallyplaced on a playing surface to allow multiple players to target eachunit as they direct the ball rebound over a larger area of play.

The device of this invention includes an upper frame forming a closedfigure of a select shape (like a hoop, for example) spaced apart andabove from a lower frame of similar closed figure shape to the upperframe with a rebounding surface material such as a fabric extending fromsaid upper frame to said lower frame. A strut support member extendsfrom an upper strut receipt member at the junction of a pair of firstand second upper cross members to a lower strut receipt member at thejunction of a pair of first and second lower cross members and serves tokeep the rebounding surface material in a taut position during use.

The strut support member is removable or in some embodimentscollapsible, allowing the top frame and rebounding surface material tocollapse down for easy storage and easy set up. The reverse step ofreplacing the strut support member allows for easy set up of therebounder. The upper frame can be held above the lower frame by one ormore strut support members connected between the upper and lower frameswhich upon removal will allow for the collapse of the top frame down tothe bottom frame.

The rebounding surface material can be of an elastic fabric meshmaterial or a non-resilient material such as trampoline material that,when stretched taut between the frames and held to the frames by anelastic cord or by other equivalent attaching members, allows for thesoccer ball to rebound away from the rebounding surface material.Instead of an elastic cord, some embodiments can utilize a series ofsprings to connect the rebounding surface material to the upper andlower frames. Some embodiments of the invention utilizing round,cylindrical or polygonal shape for the frames and in certain embodimentscan allow for the rebounding surface material and frames to spin arounda central axis when struck by the soccer ball.

In its simplest embodiment the rebounder of this invention can consistof an upper frame disposed horizontally directly above and parallel to alower frame of similar shape and configuration, each frame having anopening on its inside. Disposed parallel to the plane of each upper andlower frame and within the upper and lower openings can be crossmembers, such as the first and second upper cross members and first andsecond lower cross members that extend from one portion of theirrespective frame bisecting that frame into quadrants or in othersections.

At the junction of the upper cross members, at the center of the upperframe, can be an upper strut receipt member that defines an upper hub.At the junction of the lower cross members, at the center of the lowerframe, can be a lower strut receipt member that defines a lower hub,allowing the strut support member to engage in the upper and lower hubsand to extend vertically therebetween, to support the upper frame aspecific distance directly above the lower frame.

Attached to the perimeters of the upper and lower frames is a reboundingsurface fabric material which in one embodiment is attached to both theupper and lower frames by an elastic cord threaded through aperturesformed in the rebounding surface material or by a plurality of springs.

The rebounder with its upper and lower frames disposed parallel to theground is rested upon the ground, and the device is utilized by allowingsoccer players to kick a soccer ball against the rebounding surfacematerial for rebounding. As mentioned above, the frames can come in avariety of shapes so that the positioning of the rebounding surfacematerial of the rebounder in relation to the user is variable dependingon the shape of the upper and lower frames. In some embodiments aconcave portion can be utilized for specific rebounding effects.

It should be noted that the device of this invention can take manydifferent shapes depending on the shape of the upper and lower frameswhich are generally disposed horizontally to the playing surface andconnected by an internal vertical support system being a strut supportmember, but it should be noted that in other embodiments multiple strutsupport members can be utilized internally directly between the upperand lower frames or use other means of separating and supporting theframes one above the other can be utilized. It has been found that acentral strut support member that is removable allows for the device tobe very simply and easily collapsed and erected when needed.

In some embodiments the upper and lower frames can be oval in shape andthe rebounding surface material can be made of any type of fabric thatis suitable to bring about the desired rebounding effect. In some casesthe rebounding surface fabric material can be of an elastic nature andin others it can be a stiff and non-yielding material that isnon-elastic yet flexible, such as found in a trampoline, where therebounding effect is created by the elastic cords or springs thatsupport it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like reference numerals and letters refer to like partsthroughout the various views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the rebounder of this inventionhaving round upper and lower frames;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the rebounder of FIG. 1 withits rebounding surface material removed;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the rebounder of this inventionin its assembled state and in its collapsed state with the strut supportmember removed;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a rebounder having a D-shapedupper and lower frame that have substantially rounded exterior with aportion forming a straight side;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a rebounder havingsubstantially rectangular shaped upper and lower frames; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a rebounder having upper andlower frames having a portion thereof with a concave side portion, astraight side portion and a rounded portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Rebounder 10 of this invention, seen in FIG. 1, is made of an upperframe 12 and lower frame 14. Upper frame 12 in this embodiment, asshown, is round with an opening 36 formed therein. The upper frame cantake other shapes, such as seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, and it should benoted that the shape of the upper frame should conform to the shape ofthe lower frame such that the walls of rebounding surface material 30along its sides are substantially perpendicular to ground 38. Bothframes form closed figure shapes like hoops. As is apparent from thefigures, some of these shapes are circular hoops, although other shapesare illustrated. The frames may be continuous or constructed insegments.

Within upper frame 12 is a first upper cross member 18 and second uppercross member 20 which is disposed perpendicular to first upper crossmember 12 and crosses it at its center point. Upper strut receipt member22 is located at the junction (or hub) of the first and second uppercross members 18 and 20. The same type of structure is found in lowerframe 14 with first lower cross member 26 and second lower cross member28 joining in the center to form lower strut receipt member 24 (hub) atits junction.

The upper and lower strut receipt members 22 and 24 removably receivetherein strut support member 16 which is of a length to separate upperframe member 12 and lower frame 14 a distance slightly greater than theheight of rebounding surface material 30. Rebounding surface material 30is then held taut in place by being attached to the upper and lowerframe around the upper and lower perimeters of the rebounding surfacematerial by first elastic cord 34 which coils around through a pluralityof apertures 32 formed in rebounding surface material 30. In a similarmanner, a second elastic cord holds the lower perimeter of reboundingsurface material 30 to lower frame 14.

Other well-known means of tautly attaching the rebounding surface fabricmaterial to the upper and lower frames can be utilized. In this way therebounding surface material is held tautly between the upper and lowerframes 12 and 14. The rebounder is then placed on ground 38, as seen inFIG. 3, in a place where players can kick soccer balls against it andhave the balls rebound back in a way that is desired for practice.

The angle of rebound is determined from the direction of the initialkick and the shape of the surface of the rebounder against which theball contacts which then deflects the ball at an angle determined by thesurface shape. There are many benefits that relate to the improvementsin player precision ball passing as well as improved reaction speed dueto the varied angles of rebounding caused by the use of different shapedrebounders, especially where the player intends to retrieve reboundingballs and to redirect the ball by kicking it back toward the exterior ofthe rebounder. The high speed activity improves the player's aerobicconditioning. The degree of difficulty of each shape of the rebounderranges from a rebounder with a flat surface being the easiest todetermine the rebound angle, and thus, the easiest to return the ballback to the player, to the cylindrical shape which will deflect the ballat an angle much more difficult to determine and thus being the hardestfor the player to return.

By combining a rebounder, for example, with a flat surface and a roundedsurface, as seen in FIG. 4, the rebounder of this invention offers bothdegrees of difficulty. The rounded surface also offers a player theopportunity to kick the ball to a point which will redirect the ball toa teammate during drills. Concave shapes, such as seen in FIG. 6, willafford a variety of rebounding angles more or less rebounding the ballback in the direction of the player kicking the ball at the rebounder.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the rebounder, with itsrebounding surface material removed, showing its internal structure.When the strut support member is removed from the strut receipt members22 and 24, upper frame 12 can be collapsed downward against the lowerframe 14. Because rebounding surface material 30 is made of a flexible,collapsible material such as a fabric, it wrinkles and folds between theupper and lower frames and allows the upper frame member 12 topractically contact the lower frame 14 so that the entire structure canbe easily transported and stored, as seen in FIG. 3. The diameter of therebounder in a preferred embodiment can be in the range of 2-6 ft. andthe height can be in the range of 1-2 ft.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of rebounder 10 of this inventionhaving a D-shaped upper and lower frame that each have a substantiallyrounded exterior portion 40 with a portion forming a straight side 42.FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of rebounder 10having upper and lower frames being substantially rectangular with aportion thereof with a concave side 44. FIG. 6 illustrates a perspectiveview of the rebounder 10 having a straight side portion 42, a concaveside portion 44 and a rounded side portion 40.

Although the present invention has been described with reference toparticular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat variations and modifications can be substituted therefor withoutdeparting from the principles and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable, self-standing ball rebounder,comprising: An upper frame and a lower frame, the upper frame disposed aspaced distance substantially above and parallel to the lower frame whenthe rebounder is in use, with the upper frame having substantially thesame shape as the lower frame, wherein both of the frames areconstructed in a manner so as to form a generally continuous hoop thatincludes a curved portion, with a flexible material spanning thedistance between the upper and lower frames, the material providing anoutwardly facing elastic ball rebound surface that surrounds theperiphery of the rebounder, and means for reversibly collapsing therebounder, to collapse the rebounder into a flattened condition forstoring the rebounder, so that that the upper frame is substantiallyadjacent to the lower frame when in such condition, and for raising theupper frame from the lower frame and holding the upper frame spacedabove the lower frame in order to use the rebounder.
 2. The rebounder ofclaim 1, wherein the curved portion is an outwardly curved portion. 3.The rebounder of claim 1, wherein the curved portion is an inwardlycurved portion.
 4. The rebounder of claim 1, wherein the upper and lowerframes are substantially circular hoops.
 5. The rebounder of claim 1,wherein the means for reversibly collapsing the rebounder includes uppercross members connected to the upper frame that define an upper hub, andlower cross members connected to the lower frame that define a lowerhub, and a removable vertical strut member for connecting the upper andlower hubs together at a spaced distance.
 6. The rebounder of claim 1,wherein the flexible material has an upper edge that is connected to theupper frame by an elastic means, and a lower edge that is connected tothe lower frame by another elastic means.
 7. The rebounder of claim 1,wherein the upper and lower frames are constructed in a manner so as toform a generally continuous hoop that includes at least one straightportion and at least one curved portion.
 8. The rebounder of claim 1,wherein the upper and lower frames are constructed in a manner so as toform a generally continuous hoop that includes a straight portion, aninwardly curved portion, and an outwardly curved portion.